Casino games are currently a multi-billion dollar industry. Casino operators are looking for new games. Therefore, inventors are providing new games.
A table-card game is a card game played on a table. A comparing-card game is a card game wherein players determine the outcome of the game by comparing hand values. A target-numerical-sum game is a comparing-card game wherein players find hand values by comparing hand totals to a target-numerical sum. A hand total is equal to the sum of the numerical values assigned to the cards in a hand.
Accordingly, a target-numerical-sum game is a kind of comparing-card game wherein players determine substantially the outcome of the game by comparing hand totals to a target-numerical sum. A comparing-card game belonging to the Blackjack family of table-card games is a target-numerical-sum game wherein players determine substantially the outcome of the game by comparing hand totals to a target-numerical sum of twenty-one points. A comparing-card game belonging to the Baccarat family of table-card games is a target-numerical-sum game wherein players determine substantially the outcome of the game by comparing hand totals to a target-numerical sum of nine points.
A comparing-card game belonging to the Poker family of table-card games is a card game wherein players determine substantially the outcome of the game by comparing the card combinations in each player's hand to a predetermined hierarchy of poker-hands. Accordingly, a comparing-card game belonging to the Poker family of table-card games is not a target-numerical-sum game.
Comparing-card games belonging to the Blackjack, Baccarat, and Poker families of table-card games are some of the most popular card games ever devised. Those skilled in the art know well the methods of playing at least some of these card games. The methods of play involve a predetermined set of game rules.
The predetermined set of game rules consists of a general set of game rules and a specific set of game rules. The general set of game rules is a subset of the predetermined set of game rules shared by all comparing-card games belonging to the family of table-card games. The general set of game rules specifies the steps of agreeing upon a predetermined set of game rules, identifying each of at least one player position and at least one dealer position, providing at least one deck of cards, a player making a game wager, a dealer dealing cards to form a set of hands, the dealer establishing hand values, the dealer determining the outcome of the game by comparing hand values, and the dealer resolving the game wager based on the outcome of the game.
The specific set of game rules is a subset of the predetermined set of game rules shared by one-comparing-card game belonging to the family of table-card games and all variants of the one-comparing-card game. The specific set of game rules specifies how players practice the steps specified by the general set of game rules.
In order to provide further descriptions of the conventional methods of play of card games belonging to the Blackjack, Baccarat, and Poker families of table-card games, the applicant hereby incorporates by reference each of the following United States patents. U.S. Pat. No. 7,942,418 issued May 17, 2011 to Amaitis et al discloses a card game with counting. The author of the patent divided the detail description section of the specification into a set of subsections. The author labeled each of the set of subsections using a Roman numeral and a title. In subsection XII, entitled “Rules of Card Games”, the author provides a description of rules of conventional methods of playing Poker and Blackjack. U.S. Pat. No. 7,419,160 issued Sep. 2, 2008 to D'Ambrosio discloses a method of playing a baccarat variant. In the background section of the specification of the patent, the author provides a description of the rules of a conventional method of playing Baccarat.
Comparing-card games belonging to the above-described families of table-card games have the following advantages. One advantage is the popularity of the comparing-card games. Another advantage is players easily recognize the comparing-card games. People have played various versions of the comparing-card games for hundreds of years. Therefore, a third advantage is casino operators do not have to pay licensing fees to an inventor for the right to use the conventional methods of playing the comparing-card games.
However, comparing-card games belonging to new families of table-card games might also have advantages. One advantage is the comparing-card games enable casino operators to differentiate themselves from competitors in the market place. Another advantage is the comparing-card games enable casino operators to attract players to their casino that might otherwise spend their time and money at a competitor's casino. Because the comparing-card games are new, no precedent has been set regarding the predetermined set of game rules. Therefore, if the comparing-card games prove to be attractive enough to players, then a third advantage is gaming authorities can configure the predetermined sets of game rules so as to enable casino operators to profit from offering the comparing-card games to players. If offering the comparing-card games proves to be profitable enough to casino operators, then a fourth advantage is casino operators can afford to pay licensing fees to an inventor for the right to use the methods of playing the comparing-card games.
A desirable aspect of target-numerical-sum games is play that involves number adding activity. A desirable aspect of comparing-card games belonging to the Poker family of table-card games is play that involves pattern recognizing activity. However, comparing-card games can be made more attractive with play that combines the number adding activity of target-numerical-sum games with the pattern recognizing activity of comparing-card games belonging to the Poker family of table-card games.
Thus far, comparing-card games belonging to new families of table-card games have not proven to be attractive enough to players. What is needed, possibly, is Finnish 27.